Backstage Babble

As Backstage Babble approaches it’s year anniversary, I will be airing some of the episodes that best exemplify what I have been trying to do with this podcast. And certainly my conversation with the legendary Alan Bergman fits in that category. At 95, he was able to offer incredible wisdom and stories that are a must-hear for younger generations. He shares the secret to movie scoring, how Fred Astaire made an exception for him, Frank Sinatra’s nickname for him, the unusual prompt that led him to “What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life?,” which comes first: the lyrics or the music, the secret to his long-lasting partnership with his wife, Marilyn Bergman, how the idea for Something More! Came about, his musical influences growing up, and the two books every young songwriter must read. Plus: Norman Lear, Barbra Streisand, Michel LeGrand, and more!

After a short break, Backstage Babble is BACK, and I am so proud to present my episode with the extraordinarily talented singer, actress, and comedian Christine Pedi. With a career spanning three Broadway shows, a daily radio show on Sirius XM, long-running stints off-Broadway in two hit parody shows, several York Theater revivals, appearances on quite a few hit TV shows, and an ever-growing cabaret career, how could she not have stories to tell? Tune in to hear her talk about how she surprised her parents with her role in Chicago, the Forbidden Broadway skit that she suggested, the magic of Alvin Colt, the advice Jerry Herman gave her, getting compliments from Helen Gurley Brown, imitating Suze Orman to Suze Orman, the logistics of putting together a radio show, how Act One affected her Father, and what she hopes everyone will have learned from Covid. Plus: Angela Lansbury, Gerard Alessandrini, Rick Crom, Fran Weissler, and more!

For the last episode of Backstage Babble’s Pride Month, I welcome Broadway legend Ken Page, star of Cats, Ain’t Misbehavin’, Guys and Dolls, and more, as well as a regular actor at the St. Louis MUNY for over 25 years. His on-screen appearances include The Nightmare Before Christmas, Torch Song Trilogy, and Dreamgirls. On July 1 (because Pride should continue to be celebrated throughout the year), hear him share some beautiful words about his coming out journey and what the concept means to him. Plus, lots of showbiz stories: the moment in Cats that he created, what was missing in the revival of Ain’t Misbehavin’, the joke that Abe Burrows taught him how to land, how a cabaret medley got him a role in The Wiz, getting an early lesson on how to cry, the favorite award he’s ever won, being introduced by Gillian Lynne, plus Harvey Fierstein, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Nell Carter, and more!

For the penultimate installment in Backstage Babble’s Pride Month, I could not be more thrilled to welcome the amazing Steven Brinberg. As the premiere Barbra Streisand impersonator, he has performed in such venues as the Kennedy Center and Avery Fisher Hall, plus on Broadway with the concert of Funny Girl. Today, he joins me to tell some of the stories of his amazing career: how he edited Terrence McNally, making quips and eating ice cream with Marvin Hamlisch, competing offers from Barbra and Bette, a disappointing appearance with Rosie O’Donnell, writing a song with Stephen Sondheim, how Barbra sometimes takes his suggestions, what his dream show would be (hint: in Las Vegas, and directed by the lady herself!), and what makes Barbra a gay icon. Plus: Diana Rigg, Lainie Kazan, Jerry Springer, and more!

Today, I am so excited to welcome the extraordinarily funny Jason Graae to the podcast. He has put smiles on the faces of anyone who’s ever seen him perform, be it on Broadway in Stardust and Do Black Patent Leather Shoes Really Reflect Up, off-Broadway in Forever Plaid and Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh, or on screen! Tune in to hear him talk about his legendary career, including: a cryptic comment from James Lapine, his two favorite Friends, getting comedy advice from Jerry Herman, how Jose Ferrer messed up his debut, the show that Vicki Lewis misjudged, teasing Thommie Walsh, imitating Ken Jennings, changing the plot of Camelot, and more! Plus his imitations of William Finn, Karen Morrow, and Valerie Cherish!

I am so happy to be joined again by the legendary Lawrence Leritz. In the second part of our conversation, he discusses his choreographic and singing career, including getting career tips from Patti LaBelle, a call from Jimmy Carter, being manipulated by Berry Gordy, speaking Hebrew with Herschel Bernardi, setting up a dance between Beverly Sills and Peter Martins, and doing comedic dancing with Harvey Keitel and Carly Rae Jepsen! Lawrence is a man of the theater through and through, and you can’t miss his enthusiasm about or dedication to his craft.

I am so happy to be joined today by the amazing dancer, choreographer, actor, and producer Lawrence Leritz. With the amount of varied and prestigious projects he has been a part of, it’s no wonder that our conversation turned into two parts! Tune in today to discuss the movie that Bob Fosse got him, his brief involvement with the American Dance Machine, Alvin Ailey’s wild lifestyle, yawning in front of Alexandra Danilova, the problem with the Uris/Gershwin Theater, getting picked from a dance class by Sir Frederick Ashton, bonding with Tommy Tune, and more!

Here it is: Part 2 of my conversation with the brilliant Tony Sheldon! Tune in today to hear him discuss his New York career, including roles in Priscilla, Queen of the Desert and Amelie on Broadway, Charles Busch’s Cleopatra, and The Band Wagon at Encores. Stories abound: A false promise from the Weisslers, giving suggestions to Charles Busch, how Beth Leavel helped him at the Tony Awards, his cut number from Priscilla, an odd backstage visit from Cloris Leachman, the Encores! show he had to turn down, why he thought Amelie on Broadway was a mistake, and living in Audra McDonald’s basement. Plus: Roger Rees, Jordan Roth, Jerry Mitchell, Shirley MacLaine, and more!

I am so happy to be joined for the latest installment in Backstage Babble’s Pride Month series by international musical theater star Tony Sheldon. His immense body of work in Australia including starring roles in productions of TORCH SONG TRILOGY, I HATE HAMLET, INTO THE WOODS, PRIVATE LIVES, FALSETTOS, MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG, COMPANY, THE SISTERS ROSENSWEIG, NOISES OFF, ONCE IN A LIFETIME, and more. Today he talks about all of that and more in Part 1 of the in-depth conversation. Hear him talk about singing on TV at the age of 7, growing up with performing legends Toni Lamond (his mother) and Helen Reddy (his aunt), how he accidentally exposed the homophobia of a major casting agency, why it took a bomb scare to meet Harvey Fierstein, Cyd Charisse’s unexpected shortcoming, why The Producers was “a nightmare,” the basic history of Australian musical theater, plus stories about Yvonne DeCarlo, Bob Fosse, Mel Brooks, and more.

For the second episode of Pride Month, I welcome the designer of the original production of one of the most seminal gay works, The Boys in the Band. Among his numerous other credits include Dames At Sea, The Mad Show, Johnny Johnson, The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds, and more. Tune in to hear him talk about why Lotte Lenya wouldn’t fire Jose Quintero, how Joe Papp ruined a show in Philadelphia, how Shelley Winters tried to sabotage Carol Kane, how Mart Crowley came to appreciate his set, creating the iconic design for Dames at Sea, the hardest Broadway theater to design for, why Lee Strasberg had no creative vision, plus stories about Richard Gere, Tallulah Bankhead, Bernadette Peters, and so many more.